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Night cramps occur when a muscle suddenly shortens, or contracts, resulting in sudden stiffening and pain. Such cramps are generally harmless, according to MayoClinic.com, but they frequently inhibit and disrupt sleep. While nocturnal leg cramps typically affect calf muscles, they can affect any part of the leg, including the foot and ankle. If you frequently lose sleep as a result of sudden, jarring pain in your ankles, attempt to stretch the painful area from a prone position. When the ankle seizes up, light stretching in bed might bring quick relief, enabling you to return to sleep quickly.

Step 1

Expose your affected foot and ankle, removing any bedding that might restrict movement. Freeing up your feet when you experience cramping enables maximum range of motion in the ankle joint and a more effective stretch.

Step 2

Bend both knees and direct them toward the ceiling. Rest the soles of your feet on the bed, and then draw the knee of your affected leg toward your chest slightly. Grasp the underside of the lifted thigh with both hands. Flex your working foot at the ankle, directing your toes backward toward your shin. Hold the flexed position briefly, and then point your foot, directing your toes away from your shin. Repeat the flex-and-point stretch 10 to 20 times, or until you experience relief.

Step 3

Extend your legs in front of you on the bed, relaxing your knees and ankles. Working slowly, angle the toes of your affected leg inward, toward your body’s midline. Hold briefly, and then angle the toes away from your body’s midline. Repeat the lateral ankle stretch 10 to 20 times, or until pain dissipates.

Step 4

Bend your knees, placing the soles of your feet on the bed. Rest your affected ankle on your other thigh, opening the working knee to the side. Flex the foot, and grasp your heel with one hand and your toes with the other. Gently coax the toes backward toward your shin. Hold the stretch briefly, release, and then repeat the stretch 10 to 20 times.

Step 5

Maintain your bent-knee position, with the affected foot crossed over your other thigh. Flex your foot and slowly circle your toes to the right. Visualize yourself drawing large circles in the air with your big toe. Complete three to five full circles, and then reverse the direction of your ankle rotation, circling your toes to the left. Complete three to five more circles.

Tip

If your effort to stretch the ankle proves ineffective, try shaking off the cramp or massaging the painful area. Cramps typically last only a few seconds to several minutes, but they can last up to 10 minutes. For particularly stubborn cramps, consider taking a warm shower or applying ice to the painful area.

If you regularly suffer from night cramping, the Cleveland Clinic recommends stretching before bed and keeping linens and blankets loose around your feet when you sleep. Consider adding standing calf and ankle stretches to your bedtime routine.

If you have lingering pain in the ankle following a cramping episode, over-the-counter painkillers might help relieve your discomfort .

References

About the Author

Judy Fisk has been writing professionally since 2011, specializing in fitness, recreation, culture and the arts. A certified fitness instructor with decades of dance training, she has taught older adults, teens and kids. She has written educational and fundraising material for several non-profit organizations and her work has appeared in numerous major online publications. Fisk holds a Bachelor of Arts in public and international affairs from Princeton University.